Recognizing Others Through Business Chemistry “Tells”
In poker, the best players learn to look for clues that provide reliable information about their opponent's hand. These “tells,” as they're called, are helpful because they are consistently linked to a specific meaning. Players can deduce something about their opponent's game by observing their tells. Perhaps one person has an eye twitch whenever she's bluffing, or another person licks his lips when he has a strong hand. They may not always be right (people have been known to fake a tell to throw their opponent off), but overall a player's probability of being right is increased when he or she looks for, and acts upon, these indicators.
When it comes to working styles, similar principles apply. Certain observable behaviors are consistently linked to particular styles, and thus serve as useful clues as to a person's Business Chemistry type. In Chapters 3 through 6 we shared observable traits for each of the types; these can be key tells. Maybe you already feel confident you can spot a strong Pioneer by their spontaneous risk-taking, while an extreme Guardian will give themselves away with their meticulous and methodical approach.
We see this in action when we facilitate sessions with executives. Often we ask people to work with ...
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